A Washington woman has been sentenced to jail after she admitted to stealing more than $34,000 in insurance money meant for her children, according to court records.

A state Superior Court judge sentenced 49-year-old Lori Fields last week to 180 days in the Warren County jail after she pleaded guilty to a charge of third-degree theft, according to records. Fields will also serve two years probation after striking a deal with prosecutors from the New Jersey Attorney General's office.

Her public defender, John McGuigan, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Friday's sentencing stems from a series of frauds that authorities said began in 2009 and spanned nearly two years.

Fields, who pleaded guilty in 2007 to a charge of fourth-degree child neglect, had her parental rights terminated sometime before June 30, 2009, following a family court hearing, according to court records.

Still, she continued to receive checks meant for her three children in connection with a New Jersey Manufacturer's Insurance Policy for a deceased family member. Instead of giving the children their money, she kept it for herself, stealing $34,057 between June 2009 and March 2011, according to court records.

Authorities also accused Fields of forging one of her children's signatures on insurance policy documents, requesting she continue to receive their checks even though her parental rights had been terminated.

A warrant was issued for her arrest in May after she was indicted by a state grand jury. In July, Fields applied for, and was rejected from, the pretrial intervention program, court documents indicate.